Compare and contrast the social and political aspects of fascism and nazism between 1918 and 1939.
Thesis:
After the devestation and political turmoil following World War I, there was the opportunity for many different political philosophies to arise in Europe. In Germany and Italy, the political philosophies were Nazism and fascism, respectively. The economic issues in Germany caused by the harsh Treaty of Versailles allowed Hitler to seize power. In Italy, the Allies' failure to recognize Italian demands and the bitterness after the war allowed Benito Mussolini to gain control. Nazism and fascism overlap in many regards, but also differ from each in other in several important ways.
I. Nazism—Adolf Hitler—Germany
A. Political
1. Dictatorship—“Third Reich”
2. Type of totalitarianism
3. Extremely right-wing
4. Strong emphasis in militarism in society
5. Reaction against Communism and Marxism in Russia
6. Wanted elimination of unemployment, hyperinflation, & expansion of
production of consumer goods
7. Promised to fix social problems
a. Inflation
b. Uneployment
c. Similar to Stalin and Mussolini
B. Social
1. Mein Kampf (My Struggle)—1926
a. Not initially taken seriously
b. Outlines many ideas practiced by Nazi party
c. Divides humans into categories based on physical appearance
d. Aryan highest race—blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin
2. Social Darwinism
a. Believed in one superior race—Aryan
b. Jews were scapegoats—blamed for problems from WWI
c. Anti-Semitism
d. Caused Holocaust
3. Very emotional
4. Unification
a. German speaking people
b. Rhineland
5. Emblems and Imagery
a. Swastika—blut and boden—(blood and soil)
b. Pictures of leaders
c. Used to instill a sense of fear of leader into people (like Big
Brother—1984)
d. Instilled a sense of unity as well
Mussolini's fascism in Italy
I) Background
1. After WWI, the political situation in Italy was dire
2. Government fought almost solely for territory expansion, but was disappointed with only modest gains in the war.
3. Government promised social and land reform after war, but failed to deliver
II) Political
1. Facism is a nationalist, totalitarian form of government, with extreme right-wing conservative beliefs.
2. The key was nationalism, the belief that the state was supreme- “Everything in the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state”
3. Facism arose out of a fear of communism, and the belief that democracy was too weak to deal with the problem.
4. Mussolini used violence to achieve his goals.
a) Mussolini's thugs would pick up socialists party members, beat them up, and force feed them near fatal doses of castor oil
b) In 1922, with violence all around Italy and the threat of a new revolution, Mussolini was asked to form a new cabinet, allowing him to take control
5. Mussolini never gained total power, he left the old class system to control the military, economy, and state. Business was left to regulate itself.
6. Lateran Agreement (1929)- recognizes Vatican as an independent state, gives financial support to the church. This led to the pope voicing his support of Mussolini.
7. Mussolini, along with Hitler, supported Francisco Franco’s government in Spain
III) Social
1. Rerum Novarum (1891) – Pope Leo XIII
a) Talked about state of the working class
b) Espoused conservativism, nationalism. Condemned revolutions
2. Mussolini abolished divorce, encouraged women to have children
3. Tax on bachelors to encourage people to marry and have children
4. Mussolini put dedicated fascists in charge of schools
5. Mussolini spoke of ‘social revolution’ to ‘remake’ the Italian people
6. Social Darwinism
1) Society must purge itself of weak or degenerate people
2) Encourage/enhance image of strong, working man.
Thesis:
After the devestation and political turmoil following World War I, there was the opportunity for many different political philosophies to arise in Europe. In Germany and Italy, the political philosophies were Nazism and fascism, respectively. The economic issues in Germany caused by the harsh Treaty of Versailles allowed Hitler to seize power. In Italy, the Allies' failure to recognize Italian demands and the bitterness after the war allowed Benito Mussolini to gain control. Nazism and fascism overlap in many regards, but also differ from each in other in several important ways.
I. Nazism—Adolf Hitler—Germany
A. Political
1. Dictatorship—“Third Reich”
2. Type of totalitarianism
3. Extremely right-wing
4. Strong emphasis in militarism in society
5. Reaction against Communism and Marxism in Russia
6. Wanted elimination of unemployment, hyperinflation, & expansion of
production of consumer goods
7. Promised to fix social problems
a. Inflation
b. Uneployment
c. Similar to Stalin and Mussolini
B. Social
1. Mein Kampf (My Struggle)—1926
a. Not initially taken seriously
b. Outlines many ideas practiced by Nazi party
c. Divides humans into categories based on physical appearance
d. Aryan highest race—blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin
2. Social Darwinism
a. Believed in one superior race—Aryan
b. Jews were scapegoats—blamed for problems from WWI
c. Anti-Semitism
d. Caused Holocaust
3. Very emotional
4. Unification
a. German speaking people
b. Rhineland
5. Emblems and Imagery
a. Swastika—blut and boden—(blood and soil)
b. Pictures of leaders
c. Used to instill a sense of fear of leader into people (like Big
Brother—1984)
d. Instilled a sense of unity as well
Mussolini's fascism in Italy
I) Background
1. After WWI, the political situation in Italy was dire
2. Government fought almost solely for territory expansion, but was disappointed with only modest gains in the war.
3. Government promised social and land reform after war, but failed to deliver
II) Political
1. Facism is a nationalist, totalitarian form of government, with extreme right-wing conservative beliefs.
2. The key was nationalism, the belief that the state was supreme- “Everything in the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state”
3. Facism arose out of a fear of communism, and the belief that democracy was too weak to deal with the problem.
4. Mussolini used violence to achieve his goals.
a) Mussolini's thugs would pick up socialists party members, beat them up, and force feed them near fatal doses of castor oil
b) In 1922, with violence all around Italy and the threat of a new revolution, Mussolini was asked to form a new cabinet, allowing him to take control
5. Mussolini never gained total power, he left the old class system to control the military, economy, and state. Business was left to regulate itself.
6. Lateran Agreement (1929)- recognizes Vatican as an independent state, gives financial support to the church. This led to the pope voicing his support of Mussolini.
7. Mussolini, along with Hitler, supported Francisco Franco’s government in Spain
III) Social
1. Rerum Novarum (1891) – Pope Leo XIII
a) Talked about state of the working class
b) Espoused conservativism, nationalism. Condemned revolutions
2. Mussolini abolished divorce, encouraged women to have children
3. Tax on bachelors to encourage people to marry and have children
4. Mussolini put dedicated fascists in charge of schools
5. Mussolini spoke of ‘social revolution’ to ‘remake’ the Italian people
6. Social Darwinism
1) Society must purge itself of weak or degenerate people
2) Encourage/enhance image of strong, working man.